Blog Tour & Review -- Me + You by Brenda Gayle

Teacher Lori Tait has always wanted a family, but now
she's 40, she’s pretty much decided all the good men are taken. Instead, she
devotes herself to her students, particularly one little girl whose struggle
with math seems inconsistent with an otherwise brilliant and artistic mind.

Mark Wilder hadn’t planned to become a father, but when a
fling resulted in his daughter, Grace, he whole-heartedly embraced the role.
Raised in a family of boys, what does he know about women and girls? Once he
learns of Grace’s inability to comprehend basic math, he welcomes the role of
tutor as a way to connect with his daughter; the opportunity to spend time with
her sexy teacher is an added bonus.

When Lori cracks the mystery of Grace’s problem Mark’s
world is thrown into turmoil; he’s the last person who can help his daughter.
He pushes everyone away, confirming Lori’s theory about men. Grace, however,
has other plans. Using her new-found understanding of math, she sets out to
prove to her father and teacher that, together, they add up to the perfect
match.

“...if I wait much longer I will be too old to be accepted into an IVF
program.”

“I could give you one of my kids on a
rotating basis.” Sharon grinned. “You could take a different one every week. Heck,
I’d even throw in Tom for a week, he’s almost as bad as the young ones.”

“I’m serious!”

“I know.” Sharon sobered. “But raising a
child isn’t easy, especially if you have to do it on your own. For all I rag on
Tom about being a big kid, I couldn’t manage without him.”

“Lots of women do it,” Lori said stubbornly.

“True,” Sharon conceded. She took a sip of
her drink and then seriously observed Lori over the rim of her cup. “Okay.” She
put the cup down on the table and sat up straighter. “But if you’re determined
to have a child, don’t do in vitro. Find some sexy hot stud and, at least, have
the fun of doing it the old-fashioned way.”

Lori gagged on a mouthful of mochaccino,
trying not to spit it out with laughter. “And where do you think I will find
such a specimen?” she asked when she managed to compose herself.

Lori swiveled in her chair and found herself
staring at the crotch of a poster-sized Mark Wilder exiting one of his famous
purple Jeeps. She quickly raised her gaze to the familiar stubbled chin and
deep brown eyes, but not before she felt the crimson rush of embarrassment
flood her face. He was the only man she’d met recently that looked better than
his picture. Take a Trip to the Wild Side
with Sedona’s Wilder Jeep Tours, the poster proclaimed.

Yessiree, if she was picking a partner on
looks alone, she’d definitely take a trip to the wild side with him.

"Never in a million years did Lori think she'd wind up single and alone. Well, not really alone;she had a lot of very good friends and was hardly housebound. But she'd always pictured herself married with children. If only..."

This was a very sweet story about second chances and learning to love.

Lori Tait was a dedicated teacher, and loved her job, but she knew she needed more. She wanted more. She wasn't young anymore and she felt that maybe she would never get the chance to have a family.

Enter Mark Wilder and his daughter, Grace. Grace was Lori's student and she was in need of tutoring. Mark hired Lori for the job. Who's better than his daughters own teacher, right?! So what if he's attracted to her?!"Are you upset that I didn't kiss you?"

"Of course not!"

"Because I wanted to, you know. But I thought better of it."

"Very wise of you."

"Yes, I think so, too. There's no point in starting something that we couldn't finish, right?...Now, about dinner. If you're saying "no" because I didn't kiss you before, I should tell you my plan is to kiss you at the door when I take you home afterward-I'm kind of old-fashioned like that. But I'm a firm believer in always having a Plan B. So, if kissing you is a make-it or break-it deal, I'm fully prepared to throw caution to the wind and do it now."

"You're an arrogant ass."

"So I've been told."

I really liked how these two were with each other. No matter their age, they were like two young lovebirds starting out on a journey and they had no idea where it would take them.

Like any relationship, it wasn't always easy, but the feelings were there...and they were real. Putting Grace first was always the first priority. What they didn't realize is that she was the key to their happily ever after.

"She was his. He wanted to claim her, every inch of her, make her his. He'd never felt this way about a woman before. It was exhilarating as it was frightening."

Such a cute story!!!

I recommend this book to anyone whose wanting a short, sweet story about finding love again...or really, finding a first real love.

I've been a writer all my life but returned to my love of
fiction after more than 20 years in the world of corporate
communications--although some might argue there is plenty of opportunity for
fiction-writing there, too. I have a Master's degree in journalism and an
undergraduate degree in psychology. A fan of many genres, I am drawn to
contemporary romance and enjoy creating deeply emotional stories with elements
of mystery and suspense.

I live in eastern Ontario with my wonderful husband, two
fabulous children, a rescued cat, two Siberian Huskies, and assorted aquatic
wildlife.